


milagro.

by outpastthemoat



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Mark of Cain, Religious Imagery & Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-12
Updated: 2014-04-12
Packaged: 2018-01-19 01:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1449862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/outpastthemoat/pseuds/outpastthemoat





	milagro.

One day Dean’s heart begins to tick. 

He hears his heart tick off the seconds of his life, he puts his hand to his chest and feels his heart striking against his palm as it numbers off the remainder of his days. He hears the tick of his heart as it winds down, he hears his heart tick every night as his breathing slows, as he falls asleep.

Dean hears his heart tick like clockwork, echoing in the hollow caverns of his chest; he hears that small calcified heart of his rattling between his ribs. He hears his heart tick for hours, days, weeks, he hears it in his ears, he hears his heart tick the seconds past as he pares his blade through the thin skin that covers a throat, as he works his blade through bone, as he makes reverent cuts deep inside these soft clay bodies; Dean works and works and his heart ticks slower, slower. 

Dean hears his heart tick, he feels his heart bleed dry. He presses his hands to his chest and they come away covered with blood, blood running between his fingers, blood dripping down his wrists in narrow rivers.

He waits for the ticking to end, he waits for the blood in his veins to go still. He is sure his time is almost up, but while he is gasping and crouching there on the ground, his hands pressing red stains there in the dirt, he looks up and Cas is there, shining down on his face like the sun: Cas is there, standing over him, Cas’s hands are there, stroking his face, Cas’s hands are there, lifting up his chin.

Dean’s heart bursts out of his chest. 

It happens in that infinitesimally small moment between heartbeats; one moment his heart is ticking weak and sluggish inside his chest, and the next his heart is growing, pulsing, boiling over; his heart is swelling to such great size that his ribs crack as it expands, his skin parts to make way, and he reaches up with his bloodstained hands and touches his bloodstained chest and draws away his blood-red heart.

He brings it up to his eyes and wonders at it, this rough-hewn heart of his, with all its fragile longings and bitter aches, with its unsteady rhythm. His heart flutters like the wings of a hummingbird, it shudders in his hand, and when he raises his head to look beyond at Cas he can feel hot tears on his cheek.

His heart is so small, fragile even resting there in his hands. He could close his fist around his heart and watch it turn to dust. He watches his heart beat and he finds that he can’t close his hand all the way. He reminds himself of all the secrets hidden in those four chambers, lies and deceit, the carnelian stain of guilt that bleeds through it all. He tightens his fingers around his heart, but Cas stops him with a touch to his hand.

Give it to me, he says. I’ll keep it safe. You might want it back someday.

Dean opens his fingers and lets his heart go, and Cas takes it gently from his hand.

His heart grows stronger in Castiel’s hands. He watches as his heart beats faster, faint but steady; frantic with love, safe in Cas’s hold. Cas’s hands carry his heart as though he thinks it’s something precious, Cas’s hands hold his heart as if it’s something he could break.

Dean watches his heart come to life cradled between Cas’s palms.

Keep it, Dean says. He can do without.


End file.
